Saints and Pelicans Owner TOM BENSON yesterday filed a lawsuit to "remove all stock in the professional sports franchises from the trust funds he set up for his daughter," RENEE and grandchildren, RITA and RYAN LEBLANC. The suit, "filed in federal court in New Orleans, seeks a judge's order that would force longtime trustee BOBBY ROSENTHAL to let Benson take back stock in the teams and related assets," in exchange for $556M in promissory notes, real estate and $94M in forgiven debt. Benson "would then owe" more than $450M to the trusts (NOLA.com, 3/11).
IN CONCLUSION: Ketchum PR “has ended the bulk of its work” for the Russian government in the U.S. and Europe “amid continuing tensions” between the country and Western governments. Ketchum “represented the Kremlin through its hosting” of the ’14 Sochi Games. Figures from ProPublica show that Ketchum was paid “nearly” $23M by Russia from ’06 through mid-’12, while Russian energy firm Gazprom paid Ketchum $17M. The agency during the Sochi Games did “media relations support on behalf” of Russia President VLADIMIR PUTIN and other Russian leaders and was "liaising with NBC” (PRWEEK.com, 3/11).
PHUN & GAMES: In N.Y., Robert Strauss profiles Raymond Entertainment CEO DAVID RAYMOND, the "go-to coach for teams, schools and businesses that want a mascot, or want to better train the one they have." Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic mascot, "charges $399 a person for a three-day Mascot Boot Camp." His private Mascot Boot Camps range from $3,500-5,000 "depending on the number of days and performers the client wants." He said that he "grossed just short of a million last year," and the business "earned a $100,000 profit" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/12).
OVER PAR: A study, "Golf Around The World," showed that the U.S. is "experiencing a gradual decline in the number of golf courses in the country to correct an oversupply between" the '60s and early '00s. There are 34,011 golf courses in the world, 45% of which are in the U.S. The current total of 15,372 courses in the U.S. "is down from a peak of 16,052 following a 'gradual, but steady, market correction'" (AP, 3/11).
NAMES: Vox Media is "launching Vox Entertainment to build out its online video capabilities and talent partnerships," and has also "signed with WME to develop TV and film projects." Vox began in '03 "as SportsBlogs Inc. with sports network SB Nation and rebranded when it launched tech-focused The Verge" in '11 (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 3/11)....NASCAR driver DANICA PATRICK “will mentor students at Arizona Call-A-Teen Youth Resources in Phoenix today” after the non-profit educational-and-workforce-development agency “won Scottsdale-based GoDaddy.com's ‘Got Your Back’ social media contest.” Meanwhile, driver MICHAEL ANNETT “is scheduled to attend tonight's Coyotes game to promote” NASCAR's Go West social-media initiative (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/12)....Rays P ALEX COBB will serve as the honorary starter for the ’15 Verizon IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Rays)....Golfer BRANDT SNEDEKER and his wife sold their Nashville-area home in for $1M (TENNESSEAN.com, 3/9)....Golfer JUSTIN LEONARD listed his 13,930-square-foot Highland Park, Texas, house for $15.995M (L.A. TIMES, 3/10)....Catalyst IMG Account Dir MARLON LEWINTER, appearing with his girlfriend as the “Plaza Fans of the Day” on NBC’s “TODAY” show Saturday, surprised her with an on-air marriage proposal in the show’s Orange Room (THE DAILY).
IN MEMORY: Actor WINDELL MIDDLEBROOKS, who played the “picky deliveryman” in the Miller High Life commercials that “would decide whether his corporate customer was worthy of carrying” the beer, died on Monday at the age of 36 (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/11). SportsBusiness Journal/Daily’s Terry Lefton in ’10 profiled Middlebrooks and his fictional character as a “pop culture fixture” whose campaign was “enduring ... in an era of disposable marketing” (THE DAILY)....Bay Area Sports HOF President & CEO TOM MARTZ, who had held the role since ’05, died last week at the age of 81 (SFGATE.com, 3/11).
